Cyberduck occasionally prompts for an optional donation, so people searching 'free download' are often double-checking that this is not a disguised paywall, and it is not. The whole app is open source and stays fully usable forever without paying anything, donation prompts included. It also does more than plain FTP, since built-in connection profiles reach several cloud storage services directly, which is worth knowing before you assume it is only for old-school file servers.
Donationware, Not Trialware: What 'Free' Means Here
Cyberduck is fully open source and free to use indefinitely, though the installer and its app store listing periodically show an optional prompt to support development with a donation. Beyond basic FTP and SFTP, it connects to Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, Google Drive, and other cloud backends through built-in profiles rather than plugins you have to hunt down. Both the Windows and macOS builds share the same interface and feature set.
Who ends up using Cyberduck
Cyberduck suits web developers and cloud users who need one client that reaches both old-school FTP servers and modern object storage.
- Web developers uploading site files to a host over FTP or SFTP
- Users managing files in Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, or Google Drive from one app
- Mac users wanting Finder-like integration for browsing remote servers
Before you install
A couple of things worth knowing about Cyberduck before you request the link: it covers Windows and macOS, so grab the build that matches the machine you're setting up. And on pricing, Cyberduck is open source, so the installer is free with no trial timer, feature lock, or upsell screen to click past. It's developed and maintained by iterate GmbH.
System requirements
- WindowsWindows 10 or 11 (64-bit); older 7/8.1 builds usually still run but no longer get official support
- macOSa recent macOS release — check the download page for the current minimum version, since Apple Silicon vs Intel builds sometimes differ
It's a lightweight tool, so there's no serious CPU/RAM/storage requirement beyond what its OS already needs to run comfortably.
Quick steps
- Download the Cyberduck installer for Windows or macOS
- Install it and open the Bookmark screen to add your server or cloud account
- Enter your connection details and connect to confirm file transfer works
Cyberduck: the honest trade-offs
- Free and open source with no paid tier limiting core functionality
- Built-in profiles cover many cloud storage providers, not just FTP and SFTP
- Mounts remote servers as local drives via the companion Mountain Duck integration
- Occasional donation prompts can be mistaken for a paywall by new users
- Transfer speed and reliability lag behind dedicated tools like FileZilla on huge batch jobs
This Cyberduck build is taken directly from iterate GmbH's open-source project releases, with no added installer wrappers.
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Keeping Cyberduck up to date
Since Cyberduck is open source, most Linux distributions keep it current through their own package manager. On Windows/macOS, re-running the installer from the official site (or an updater built into the app, if it has one) gets you the latest release. Sticking to the developer's own distribution channel — which is what this page links to — means you're never stuck on an old build with unpatched bugs just because a mirror site stopped updating its copy.
Features, install steps, alternatives and more detail live on the main Cyberduck page.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay or donate to keep using Cyberduck?
No, all features remain free indefinitely; the donation prompt is optional and doesn't unlock or restrict anything.
Can Cyberduck connect to Google Drive or Amazon S3, not just FTP servers?
Yes, it includes built-in connection profiles for numerous cloud storage services alongside standard FTP and SFTP support.
